Multiple tool-bit wrench



MULTIPLE TOOL-BIT WRENCH Filed July 5, 1960 Eli 3 /d' 1 33 20 *-\J,i\ 1 V l HI \HI l --J I 1 l I M A ao 40 -57 E; 4- 0 E: l E. E 1 /a T1 i L 26 if E; E

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Z9 W/QVXM ATTORNEY HOWARD C 8143012 Unite 3,014,388 MULTIPLE TOOL-BIT WRENCH Howard C. Blasdell, 705 Crawford Ave., Flint 7, Mich. Filed July 5, 1960, Ser. No. 40,699 3 Claims. (Cl. 81-53) This invention relates to hand-tools more particularly to improvements in a demountable, adjustable, multiple tool bit-wrench of the type shown in my US. Patent No. 2,933,963.

Multiple adjustable tools have been employed heretofore to facilitate the use of different size and kinds of tools bit, however, the several devices of the prior art have not proven entirely satisfactory inasmuch as they are complicated in design and construction, expensive to manufacture, difiicult to mount and dismount and not sufficiently strong and stable in high production use.

With the foregoing in view, the primary object of the invention is to provide a multiple selectable and adjustable wrench which is simple in design and construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, easy to mount and dismount, and which is of durable and strong construction for long high production use.

An object of the invention is to provide a solidly supported, easily demountable easily mounted and selectably adjustable multiple tool bit two-position wrench having a hammering-hammer impact receiving high speed lowtorque position and a low speed high-torque position.

An object of the invention is to provide a tool handle and shank having spaced arms for receiving a rotatable drum between the arms with tool-bits mounted on the drum and selectable via rotation of the drum.

An object of the invention is to provide an axle in the drum and co-operating studs in the arms for mounting and dismounting various drums relative to the handle and shank.

An object of the invention is to provide co-operating grooves in the studs and a spring-pressed ball detent in the arms for holding the studs either in the mounting or dismounting position relative to the drum and axle.

An object of the invention is to provide radial slots in the drum and a co-operating tang on one arm for holding the drum in any selected angular position.

An object of the invention is to provide a wrench handle and shank easily associated with any number of selected drums each having multiple tool bits of different kinds such as easy-outs, Allen wrenches, socket wrenches, screw drivers, and other tool bits in selected and graduated sizes.

An object of the invention is to provide a solidly supported drum in the mounted position for withstanding the torque and hammer blows necessitated in use of the tools.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following description of a multiple-tool bit easily adjustable hand Wrench having the above recited advantages embodying the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view of a wrench embodying the invention seen in the high-speed hammer blow position.

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view of the device seen in FIG. 1 viewing thesame from the right side thereof and additionally showing the work piece in conjunction therewith. I

FIG. 3 is a reduced foreshortened showing of the wrench seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the handle and shank disposed in the low speed high-torque position.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken on the line 4-4 thereof.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional 'view of FIG. 2

Patented Dec. 2h, 1961 taken on the line 5-5 thereof showing the arm, drum, axle, stud, and detent arrangement.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 taken on a line 66 thereof showing the drum, pin and axle relationship; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the axle and studs in the position for mounting or dismounting the drum.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like in corresponding parts throughout the several views, the wrench disclosed therein to illustrate the invention comprises a handle 10 mounted on the shank 11 which supports the paired-arms 12 and 14 in spaced relationship forming a drum-receiving cavity therebetween.

The drum 15 is located between the arms 12 and 14- and the arms and drum are equipped with axially aligned apertures for receiving the studs and axles. The stud 16 is located in the arm 12, the stud 18 is located in the arm 14, and the axle 17 is located in the drum 15 with the inner end of the stud l6 lying within the drum 15 and with one end of the axle 17 lying in the arm 14 so as to rotatably mount the drum relative to the arms.

More particularly the axle 17 has a peripheral flat portion forming a relief 19 which receives a portion of the pin 20 so that the axle 17 is slidably retained in the drum 15 between the limits of the relief 19 so that when the drum is removed from the wrench the axle is mechanically connected thereto but slidably positioned in proper relationship.

The arm 12 has a chamber 22 and the arm 14 has a chamber 24 housing the balls 25 and 26 respectively which are forced inwardly by the springs 27 and 28 respectively and which are held in the chambers by the screws 29 and 30 respectively.

The stud 16 is provided with spaced peripheral grooves 31 and 32 co-operating with the ball 25 and the stud 13 is provided with spaced peripheral grooves 33 and 34 cooperating with the ball 26 so that the studs 16 and 18 are releasably fixedly positioned relative to the arms 12 and 14 respectively by the spring-pressed ball detents as described.

Tool bits 40 in multiple, such as the easy outs shown, are mounted in a radially extending position from the peripheral edge of the drum 15 and obviously different kinds of tool bits can be so disposed such as conventional screw drivers, Allen wrenches, socket wrenches, Phillips head screw drivers, etc.

One arm, such as 14, is provided with a longitudinal slot for receiving the tang 41 therein and a spring-pressed detent 43 is provided bearing thereagainst for the purpose of holding the tank 41 in a position illustrated, with the detent in the upper groove or in the lower groove 44 for holding the tang 41 when elevated out of drum engaging position.

The tang 41 extends into the space between the arms 12 and 14 and engages the radial slots 45 provided in the adjacent side edge of the drum 15 and by moving the detent 41 upwardly as illustrated the drum is freely rotatable for selectively positioning a tool bit 40 and upon the selection being made the tang 41 is movable dow-nwardly so the tang 41 enters the radial slot 45 of the drum and holds it in the desired position.

In changing the drum 15 for a like drum having different tool bits of difierent size and graduated tool bits thereon, the user manually presses the projecting portion of the stud 18 to move it axially inwardly whereby its inner end abuts the-axle 17 and the axle abuts the stud .16 so that upon manual pressure against the stud 18 in the position seen in FIG. 5, the device can be moved to the position seen in FIG. 7 where the axle 17 is moved within the limits of the drum 15 and the stud 16 is moved out of drum engaging position and extends side-wise outwardly of the arm 12.

Upon selecting and locating another drum 15 between the arms 12 and 14 the user then presses the extending or projecting end of the stud 16 against the axle 17 which motion is transfeired to the stud 18 and upon axial travel of the elements described the stud 16 when moved to the left will project into the drum aperture and the axle 17 will project into the aperture of the arm 14 to 1'0- tatably and solidly mount the drum.

In use, the user selects and mounts the desired drum and locates the desired tool bit as previously described and when it is necessary to hammer the tool bit the wrench is located in the position of FIG. 2 whereby hammer blows on the handle are transferred to the tool bit 40 via the shank 11 and arms 12, 14, stud 16, axle 17, and drum and it will be noted that the solid connection of the axle to the arm and the stud to the drum will support heavy hammer blows on the handle 19 without deformation in the wrench,

After the tool bit 40 has been hammered into the work piece such as the broken off bolt 50 in the body 51, the tang 41 can be moved upwardly so as to free its engagement with the drum 15 whereupon the handle 10 and shank 11' can be moved from the position seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the position seen in FIG. 3 where high-torque and low speed is obtainable because of the normal position of the handle relative to the tool 40 and this is particularly useful for breaking loose frozen parts. Upon the part being loosened, the wrench is then re-located in the position seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 whereupon the bolt 50 as illustrated can be speedily removed from the body 51.

The inventive wrench with the features described constitutes a compact, durable, neat appearing, adjustable mechanism easily operated and structurally constituted to receive heavy hammer blows and exerting high-torque forces in long production use.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, detail, and arrangement of the various elements of the structure within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A solidly supported easily demountably mounted and selectively adjustable multiple tool bit two-position wrench having a hammering impact-receiving high-speed lowtorque position and a low-speed high-torque position comprising of a drum having opposite sides, a cylindrical peripheral edge, and a transverse axial aperture; an axle disposed in said drum aperture having opposite ends with a first end extending outwardly of said drum at one side of a second end recessed within said drum at the other side; first and second paired-arms on either side of said drum having apertures axially aligned with said drum aperture; said first-arm aperture receiving said axle firstextending end rotatably supporting said drum at one side; a first stud in said first-arm aperture having an inner end endwise abutting said axle first end and an outer end projecting beyond said first-arm outer side, a second stud in said second-arm aperture having an inner end disposed in said drum-axle aperture endwise abutting said axle-recessed-second end with said second stud rotatably supporting said drum at the other side thereof; said second stud outer end lying substantially flush with said secondarm outer side; said drum being demountable from between said arms by manually moving said first stud axially inwardly against said axle and said second stud via said axle to move said axle projecting end out of said first-arm aperture and said second stud out of said drum aperture so that said axle lies within said drum; and tool bits on said drum extending radially outwardly of said drum peripheral edge.

2. A solidly supported easily demountably-mounted and selectively-adjustable multiple tool bit two-position wrench having a hammering impact receiving high-speed low-torque position and a low-speed high-torque position comprising a handle, a shank on said handle, pairedspaced arms on said shank having opposed inner sides, outer sides, and axially aligned apertures leading through said arms; a spring-pressed ball detent in each said arm leading into each said aperture, a stud axially slidable disposed in each said arm aperture of sufiicient length to project axially outwardly of each said aperture on one side of each said arm, paired-spaced circumferential grooves on each said stud; said grooves on one said stud being adjacent the inner end thereof; said grooves on said other stud being intermediate ends thereof; each said ball detent engaging one said groove of one said stud; said grooves, studs, and detents being so adapted that said studs are axially movable between said grooves relative to said detents and co-ordinated so that movement in one direction extends one said stud beyond the inner side of one said arm and the other stud beyond the outer side of the other said arm and so that movement in the opposite direction disposes both said studs flush with said arms inner sides and with at least one stud projecting beyond the outer side of one said arm, a drum disposed between said arms inner sides having an axial aperture axially aligned with said arm apertures; an axle axially disposed in said drum aperture endwise abutting said studs; said axle length and drum width being substantially the same for inserting and extracting said drum and axle between said arms with said axle lying within said drum in the insertion and extraction position; said studs being adapted to co-act with said axle and drum when axially aligned therewith by manually moving one said stud endwise against said axle whereby said stud enters said drum aperture to rotatably support said drum on one side and said axle displaces said other stud and enters said other arm aperture to support said drum on the other side thereof.

3. A solidly supported easily demountably-mounted and selectively adjustable multiple tool bit two-position wrench having a hammer impact receiving high-speed lowtorque position and a low-speed high-torque position comprising a drum having opposite sides, a cylindrical peripheral edge, and a transverse axial aperture; an axle disposed in said dium aperture having opposite ends with a first end extending outwardly of said drum at one side and a second end recessed within said drum at the other side; first and second paired arms on either side of said drum having apertures axially aligned with said drum aperture; said first-arm aperture receiving said axle firstextending end rotatably supporting said drum at one side; a first stud in said first-arm aperture having an inner end endwise abutting said axle first end and an outer end projecting beyond said first-arm outer side, a second stud in said second-arm aperture having an inner end disposed in said drum axial aperture end-wise abutting said axle recessed second end with said second stud rotatably supporting said drum at the other side thereof; said second stud outer end lying substantially flush with said secondarm outer side; said drum being demountable from between said arms by manually moving said first stud axially inwardly against said axle and said second stud via said 'axle to move said axle projecting end out of said first arm aperture and said second stud out of said drum aperture so that said axle lies within said drum; tool bits on said drum extending radially outwardly of said drum peripheral edge; each said studs having paired spaced peripheral grooves in the area of said arms, a spring pressed ball detent in each said arm engaging one of said grooves in each said stud; said studs, grooves, and detents being so arranged that said studs are held in either the drum mounting position or the drum demounting position; one said drum side having radial slots facing one said arm, and a tang on said one arm slidably mounted relative to said arm and drum so as to be movable into and out of said drum radial slots so as to selectively hold said drum relative to said arms in an adjusted angular position to fixedly locate one of said tool bits in the desired position; a shank supporting said arms, and a handle on said shank; said shank and handle being angularly adjustable relative to a selected tool by rotating said 5 drum and tool relative to said shank and handle to that when said shank and handle are normal to a selected tool bit a high-torque low-speed condition obtains and when said shank and handle are axially aligned with a selected tool bit a high-speed low-torque hammerable condition obtains with said studs and axle adequately supporting said tool, drum, arms, shank, and handle for receiving hammer blows.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cunningham Aug. 9, 1910 Cowell Apr. 4, 1916 Leopold Nov. 6, 1923 Hartley Aug. 6, 1929 Pachter May 6, 1958 Renoux May 13, 1958 Piquet Jan. 12, 1960 Blasdell Apr. 26, 1960 

